Whistling in the Dark
by demmons1399
Summary: Faith finds herself thrust into the world of wizards and discovers she is part of something that she could have never imagined…a family. As she fights a battle of light and dark within her, she finds that she is not alone in that battle,more details insid
1. Chapter 1

**Hey there my gentle readers! It's a new story…WooHoo!! I won't bore you with blah blah blah…but I will tell you that I have a good idea of where I want this story to go…but I will desperately need your help for ideas and such and will do my best to respond to all questions and reviews…and before you ask…I am not abandoning my other stories…but this little nugget kept banging in my brain till I was forced to write it down…sigh…I really do what the voices tell me to do…how sad is that?**

**Summery: Faith finds herself thrust into the world of wizards and discovers that she is part of something that she could have never imagined…a family. As she fights the battle of light and dark within her, she finds that she is not alone in that battle…and that there is someone who understands better than anyone exactly what she has been going through…**

**Pairings: I hate to put these up in advance since my characters have a tendency to take over after a while, but as it stands now…Harry/Ginny, Hermione/Ron, and Faith/…you are just going to have to guess –evil cackling- **

**By the way…I am not JKR, I do not have such delusions of grandeur, I have delusions of a whole other sort…tra la la…**

"How the hell did I end up here?" thought Faith as she struggled towards consciousness.

The last thing she remembered was doing a quick solo patrol of one of the many cemeteries around Cleveland. Funny, she thought, how many cemeteries there were in Hellmouth towns. Must be like prime real-estate for vampires. It was thoughts like these that she occupied her mind with while she tried to not think about….other things

The gang had all moved to Cleveland after Sunnydale sank into oblivion. Most of the baby slayers had gone back to their families for a little R&R…at least the ones who had families to go back to. Others had gone to help Angel down in LA…and the rest had taken up shop in the Mansion they had gotten on the outskirts of Cleveland. It seemed that Kennedy's father owned a good chunk of real-estate around the US and was more than willing to part with one of his mansions if it would keep his daughter and her 'alternative lifestyle' away from the prying eyes of the social elite in NYC. He wasn't too much of an asshole though. He did see fit to send a great big check to tide them all over until Giles got through all the complicated paperwork surrounding the Watchers council accounts. Kennedy, however, didn't seem fazed by it at all. She was too busy playing house with Willow.

Faith sighed as she headed deeper into the cemetery, absently twirling a stake in one hand while the other hand searched through her pockets looking for her cigarettes. She felt left out, she admitted to herself. Her best bud had been Xander, but Xan-man was off seeing the world and looking for more baby slayers. He had really needed the space after losing Anya, she knew that, but Faith still missed him. Xander had never been afraid to talk about serious shit and yet was still able to turn into a hyper five year old at the sight of a deluxe Enterprise model kit. She loved him for that and for backyard bullshit sessions they used to have every night after patrol. She thought about the people who had stayed behind…

Buffy, if you could believe it, was acting like she was 22 going on 40. She dutifully kept an eye on Dawn and spent hours in the library with Giles. 'Pre-emptive research' she called it. Buffy wanted to know as much as possible about the Cleveland Hellmouth incase another apocalypse came their way. Giles was only too happy to assist Buffy in this new found lust for knowledge. Faith let out a small laugh…lust was right…she never thought looking over ancient Sumerian texts could be viewed as borderline pornographic but with those two…shit, the amount of hormones flying between the watcher and slayer was almost ridiculous, not that either of them would ever admit it. Faith just wished those two would just get it over with and fuck already.

Dawnie was actually turning out pretty cool. The squirt had gotten her GED and was now taking courses on ancient languages at the local museum. Dawnie and Faith had bonded at bit during the past few months over a mutual lust over Collin Farrell and a few other fine species of manhood, but Faith knew that the two of them would never be close…too much water under the bridge.

All in all, the gang painted a pretty picture of domestic bliss. Buffy and Giles helping Dawnie with her homework at night while Willow and Kennedy fussed over dinner, taking every opportunity to touch each other and gaze longingly over the Mac and cheese. But where did Faith fit into that perfect little family portrait?

Outside the frame…as usual…it was where she always ended up. Her thoughts drifted to her ex, Robin. He had managed to surprise Faith by sticking around long enough to help her get her criminal record expunged…no telling how he managed to pull that one off…and then it was the usual 'it's not you, it's me' speech and he was off for more normal pastures.

Faith hand finally found the pack of smokes that had been hiding in her jacket. She pulled one out, lit up, and sat down on a large tombstone to think. No matter how hard Faith had tried, she knew she would never really be one of them. She was too dark, too unpredictable for any sort of normal life. Even when she was a kid, before she was called, Faith had always felt as if something was missing, like there was some empty place inside of her that didn't make sense. She learned to make up for it by drowning her sorrows in adrenaline. Fucking, fighting…she did whatever it took to feel that rush in her veins down to her fingertips. It was only in those moments that she felt as if there was some force inside of her that she could almost touch, but not quite reach. That was why she loved being a slayer. It made sense to her then…that power within her that separated her from the rest of the mundane world she felt so apart from. But now, with all the other slayers in the world, Faith still didn't feel right. She still felt…other...

"Ow, shit!" she yelled as the cigarette in her hand slipped and burned her finger. Faith shook her hand and blew on it to cool the burn. She looked around the empty graveyard.

"Fuck this…" she muttered. She got up and started walking out of the cemetery. She would head back to the mansion, grab a few beers from the fridge and head up to her room to watch a few cheesy horror flicks to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

She was just passing through one of the older parts of the cemetery when she heard a succession of loud pops. Faith hit the dirt…you didn't grow up in Dorchester MA with knowing how to duck gunfire. Then she flipped back up to a standing position and saw that she was surrounded by about eight freaks dressed in long black robes wearing skull masks and pointing narrow wooden sticks at her.

"Oh goody, some asses to thrash" Faith said with a smirk "And look…I got a pointy stick too" She flipped her stake up into her hands "I must be a trend setter or something. Does this mean I can play? I'd love to show you a few tricks" she said with a feral grin as she spun the stake in her hands a few times.

One of the eight surrounding her took a step forward "You will find we can do a lot more that simple tricks with these sticks" said a smooth cultured English voice from behind the mask.

Faith rolled her eyes "You aren't seriously pulling the whole 'my stick is bigger than your stick' crap, are you?" She gave them another grin "Well remember boys…it's not the size, but how you use it" and with blinding speed, she hurled to stake at the man's chest. To her surprise she saw the man pop out and then back in about two feet to the right, causing her stake to land harmlessly on the grass.

"Impressive…" Faith said, still not looking too worried…yet "Not vamps I take it? Demons then…and British ones no less…well boys, welcome to the colonies" and she launched herself at the nearest one.

Suddenly the air around her was filled with bursts of different colored lights coming from the ends of their sticks. "What the fuck? Is this Star Wars or something? Xan-man, eat your heart out" Faith muttered as she ducked behind a tombstone to avoid another burst of red light. She knew she was in big trouble but she really didn't see a way out of it at this point. Besides, she had always been more of a 'fight not flight' kind of gal and so she threw herself back into the fray.

Faith managed to take down another three of the robed freaks before her luck ran out and she found herself bound head to foot in ropes on the ground. The one who had spoken earlier was looking down at her.

"You will make a lovely gift to the Dark Lord" the voice said. Even from behind the mask Faith could see the queer, dark glitter in the man's eyes.

"Shit" she thought as she saw the man wave his stick over her. Faith suddenly felt as if she was being squeezed through a garden hose. When she felt she couldn't take it any more, she was flung on a stone floor like a sack of potatoes, still tied up. She looked up from her position on the floor to see a man sitting on a throne above her. No…not a man exactly…more like a snake guy with burning red eyes. He was flanked by more of those Star Wars rejects and was looking down at her like a cat who had found a particularly tasty mouse to torture before swallowing it whole.

Faith shuddered. She knew that look…she had seen it in the mirror too many times in the past. 'Enough' she thought, giving herself a good mental shake. All of that was in the past…she was a confirmed white hat now…no need to dwell…being tied up at the foot of some freak show was enough for her to deal with at the moment. She struggled against her bonds.

"Release her" hissed the snake guy. One of the robed guys waved his stick and the ropes around her disappeared. She was up and in a fighting stance in a flash, her arms lose by her sides as she gave an appraising look to the around her, with its opulent, if but decaying, grandeur.

"Nice digs you got here" Faith said casually as she gave the room a once over, looking for possible escape routes. Seeing none at the moment, Faith focused her attention on the…thing…sitting on the throne before her.

"So…Snake Guy…I take it you are the boss here?" she said with an appraising look

"How dare you speak to the Dark Lord in such a manner!" yelled one of the robed guys, brandishing his pointy stick "You will learn to respect your betters! Cruc…"

"Adavra Kedavra" said the snake guy casually. A jet of green light shot from his pointy stick to the man who had spoken and before Faith could blink, the mans corpse was crumpled at her feet.

"That was very rude of him to interrupt don't you think?" said the snake guy calmly

Faith suppressed a burst of nausea at what had happened so quickly in front of her. She knew that if she showed any sort of weakness, she would be signing her death warrant. Without missing a beat Faith stepped over the body at her feet and faced the throne.

"Yeah…rude…anyway…so what's the deal here?" she said in what she hoped was a nonchalant tone.

The snake guy smiled, making his face even more grotesque, if that was even possible Faith thought

"I am, as you stated, the boss here. My name is Lord Voldemort, but you may address me as the Dark Lord…after all, we are all family here" Voldemort said with a sweeping gesture of his arms.

"Hmmm…Voldemort…and here I thought having a middle name like Francis was bad. As for Dark Lord, I've known too many of those…I think I will stick with Snake Guy" she said with an arrogant smirk. Faith knew she was pushing it with the sarcasm but she often found that if you pushed hard enough, your opponent would act impulsively and give you the advantage. Why the hell else waste your time gabbing instead of going strait for the kill? Faith could see that the robed guys were frozen in shock, as if terrified of what Voldemort might do next…but he was just looking at Faith with an amused expression.

"You are an interesting creature Miss Lehane. Yes, yes…I know your name. I know all about you…your past crimes and your pathetic attempts at redemption. The Dark Slayer…a mere muggle with such power…" He leaned back on his throne and placed his hands on the snakehead armrests. "Yes…I think I will make an exception and allow you to serve me, despite your blood. It would be a shame to waste such a talent as yours"

Faith held her hands up "Whoa there Snake Guy…don't think that I'm not flatter by the offer…because I'm not" she quipped "Serving the bad guy…been there, done that…not really my thing anymore" she said with a lazy smile "Besides, I already have a job and my friends wouldn't take it too well if I just took off without giving my two weeks notice and all. In fact, they might just get a bit nasty about it." Faith grinned to herself, imagining her and Buffy pounding the shit out of these guys while Willow turned Snake Guy into a puddle with a chant or two.

These happy images were shattered when Voldemort said "That won't be a problem my dear. You see, to them, you are already dead."

"Huh?"

Voldemort waved his hand in a casual gesture "I am sure that they have found your body by now…burned beyond all recognition of course, but the dental records should match perfectly. I have no doubt they are already mourning you deeply…" Then he gave her a nasty smirk "Or perhaps their not. Maybe they are relieved and are dancing on your grave as we speak?"

The smile fell from Faith's face and her gaze hardened. Voldemort just laughed "It is of no matter…we are your family now."

"Not interested" Faith said, never breaking her gaze

Voldemort smiled back at her "Oh, but you will be. You just need the proper encouragement…Imperio!"

Faith felt as if she was floating in warm water loaded with painkillers. There was a voice in her head telling her to kneel before Voldemort, but she told it to fuck off…she was enjoying the warm fuzzy feeling. Too soon it was over and she staggered a bit.

"Damn, that was amazing. You should bottle and sell that shit. You would make a killing on the streets." she said with a smirk

It seemed that this comment was the straw that broke the snakes back. Voldemort leapt up, red eyes blazing, and shouted "CRUCIO!"

Her world became a haze of pain. She had been good at blocking out physical pain in the past because of her slayer strength, but this…this seemed to get past all her defenses. She was twitching and screaming on the floor, trying to escape the pain somehow. The pain kept going deeper and deeper into her until it reached her core and pulled her apart. When that happened, she felt that empty place within her explode. There was a blinding flash and she was gone.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"HEADMASTER!" bellowed Hagrid as he came barreling through the front doors of Hogwarts, soaking wet from the storm. He was carrying the limp form of a dark haired young woman in his arms. Dumbledore, having been alerted by the castle of a powerful burst of magic at the gates, was waiting for him in the empty front hall with professor McGonagall. Dumbledore leaned over the unconscious girl and brushed aside her damp hair to reveal her face. Dumbledore and McGonagall both let out a gasp.

Dumbledore turned to Hagrid "Get her to the hospital wing now…and do not let her be seen" Without a question, Hagrid took off at a thundering run.

"Minerva, please alert Severus and have him meet me in the hospital wing immediately. We have no time to waste"

The normally stoic McGonagall was shaking "Albus…is that…is that who I think it is?"

Dumbledore let out a heavy sigh as his eyes followed the path that Hagrid had taken with the poor young woman "Yes my dear…it seems that at long last, the lost Black sister has been found."

**Sooooo…what do you think? Is it worth my sanity to start another story like this? Should I just kill it as it stands…should I have beef or chicken for dinner tonight? Let me know…**

**Peace love and light,**

**Dye**


	2. Introductions

**Ok…so I decided to go ahead and write another chapter to see where this goes…If I can get this plot bunny off the ground I think we (me and you, my lovely readers) could have a lot of fun…let me know and I will do my best not to go insane and keep writing…crap…I am already insane…screw it…I'll keep writing anyway…the alligators on the wall may get a kick out of it…grin**

**If after reading that forward you still think I am JKR…say hi to the alligators!**

Faith had yet to open her eyes when she finally reached consciousness. Out of habit, she stretched out her slayer senses to get a gist of what was going on around her before she let anyone know she was actually awake. She could tell there were three people in the room with her. Well, at least she thought it was three…one of them felt kind of shadowy to her, as if they were not masking their presence on purpose, but out of habit. They were all human as far as she could tell and they had a Willow-esque feel to them, but only the one closest to her came close to the level of mojo she usually picked up from Red on her Slay-dar. Then she felt whoever was closest to her try to brush her mind. In a flash she was sitting up and had her hand at the person's throat…

"Didn't you mother ever tell you, it's not nice to go poking around in other people minds?" Faith growled out in a weak voice that surprised her. Her arm still felt strong and that was all that mattered to her for the moment. She looked at the person whom she was currently threatening to strangle and her jaw dropped. This guy looked ancient but radiated a sense of power that threatened to overwhelm her. He had long white hair and a beard that was currently draped over her arm, the arm she had attached to the hand at his throat. Behind wire rimmed glasses he had bright blue eyes that, despite his current situation, were twinkling like mad at her. And the outfit…dear lord, she thought in silent tribute to G-man, this guy looked like Santa on acid, with his lavender robes and bent pointy hat…this man would make a killing on Castro street on Christmas. Since the other two people in the room didn't seem to be doing anything, she focused her attention on the man before her. "Soooo…" she drawled "Any particular reason you decided to go digging into my brain without asking?" her arm was beginning to shake, but she held on for the moment.

"Probably for the same reasons you stretched out your senses before opening you eyes I expect" he said casually, causing her eyes to widen "To see what I was dealing with before things became…complicated" his eyes still twinkling

"Hmph" she said. This guy had gotten the drop on her…must be stronger than she thought. Well, she wasn't going to be able to hold her arm up much longer anyway, so she let it fall casually back onto the sheets covering the rest of her. She stretched a bit, winced at the soreness of her body and leaned back against the pillows behind her "So, I take it your not with Snake guy and his band of merry jerk-offs?" she said

The old guy's eyes practically danced with merriment "No…indeed not. My name is Albus Dumbledore. I am Headmaster here at Hogwarts." He saw no recognition in her eyes at them mention of his name or Hogwarts

"Cool…what's Hogwarts? It's like a private school or something?" she said, curiously

"It is a school for witches and wizards" he said

If he was looking for a reaction, there was none. She just shrugged her shoulders and said "Neat…too bad Red never new about this place being in California and all…uh…what's the deal with dumb and dumber over there?" she said, pointing to the still unmoving Snape and McGonagall.

"Oh yes…my apologies…" Dumbledore waved what she now realized was not a stake but a wand at the two still figures, which quite suddenly became animated…and at least one of them became very animated

"ALBUS!! What were you thinking freezing us like that!? She could have killed you!!" shouted the tall older woman in a darkish dress right out of the wizard of oz.

"I do believe I am quite capable of defending myself, as you well know Minerva" Dumbledore said calmly

"Still…it was very foolish of you" the woman grumbled

Faith grinned "I'd watch it Double D, that lady looks like she could be pretty fierce when she wants to be…" Faith said, tipping the woman Dumbledore had call Minerva a wink

The woman pursed her lips, but Faith could see the smirk in her eyes "I am Professor McGonagall, and you are correct in assuming I am not one to cross lightly" she said with a glare in Dumbledore's direction

"Oh yeah…I like her" Faith said with another grin and she wasn't too surprised when she saw the older woman smirk back slightly. Faith turned her attention to the last person in the room that had remained quiet up to this point and was still standing in the shadows "So, who are you?" she said

"I am Professor Snape" the man said in a low voice as he walked forward into the light. He was as pale as any vampire she had ever come across. He had longish black hair, black eyes, and was dressed from head to foot in high collared black robes.

"What's with the outfit? Are you some kind of priest or something?" Faith said with a smirk

Snape scowled at her "I should think not. You will find that I lost my faith years ago Miss…"

"Faith…at your service" she said with a viciously sarcastic grin

Snape's eyes widened for a moment. Then she could see the corner of his mouth twitch ever so slightly and he gave her a brief nod, as if to say 'you win this round, but he game is not over'

Faith smiled lazily at him before turning her attention back to the others "So…let me guess the sitch…this Snake Guy is your big bad and you guys are the white hats in need of a little of my help…that's why I was sent here…am I right?"

McGonagall's eyes became piercing "And what makes you think that…and that you have the power to help us for that matter?"

"Because she is the Slayer…it is what she was born to do" said Snape, surprising everyone in the room

Faith's eyes narrowed "And how exactly did you get that information Snapey?"

Snape ignored the slur on his name and gave her a condescending smirk "I teach Defense Against the Dark Arts…it is my job to know these things"

Faith gave him a smirk and a nod, as if to say 'point to you' and said "We should compare notes sometime…I have a few stories that might interest you"

Dumbledore was thinking hard…a Slayer…and if the 'Red' person from California she had referred to was the famous Miss Rosenberg he had heard about from the Coven…his mind whirled. He looked at the girl with a question in his eyes "Miss Lehane…" he started but Faith interrupted him

"The name is Faith" she snapped

McGonagall spoke up "But the paperwork we found on you said…"

Faith glared "The only difference between the man who gave me that name and the other assholes fucking my mother was that he never bothered to pay her…the name is Faith…end of story…are we clear?"

Even in her weakened state, the power rolling off of Faith was not to be ignored. They all nodded, even Snape, who was looking at her with renewed respect…she certainly put Albus and Minerva in their place…maybe there was more to this crass American than he initially thought

Dumbledore diffused the situation by saying "Of course Miss Faith…as you wish" Faith nodded back to him calmly "As I was saying…what makes you think you were sent here to help us?"

Faith shrugged "I was doing a regular patrol around Cleveland when I am suddenly surrounded by freaks in robes with British accents…tied up with magic ropes…sent to a creepy mansion in England somehow…was offered a job by some evil Snake Guy…was tortured…and then was sent to the good guys at the doorstep of some wacky mojo school…sounds like the typical PTB's at work to me" she said nonchalantly

"PTB's" said McGonagall puzzled

Faith rolled her eyes "I call them the Pathetic Tricky Bastards…but they are more commonly known as the Powers That Be." She could here Snape practically choke at her statement and she flashed him a quick grin 'one more for me' before turning back to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore let no look of shock at this girl's casual mention of consorting with Higher Beings show on his face. He did however look concerned. Faith figured someone like Dumbledore looking concerned was a good reason to start to worry

"Hey…what's up Double D…you're making me all nervous with the whole 'I don't know how to break this to you' kind of look on your face. Just say it already." she said, trying not to sound nervous

Dumbledore looked at Faith kindly "I am sorry my dear, I did not mean to alarm you. It is just that you are wrong in assuming someone sent you here"

"Huh? Then how the hell did I get here?" Faith said puzzled

Dumbledore kept looking at Faith with the same kind but sad look in his eyes…and it was starting to get on her nerves "It seems to me that you sent yourself here" he said calmly

Faith was starting to get really annoyed now "Ok…enough with the cryptic crap Santa…what the hell are you trying to say?"

Dumbledore looked her in the eyes "What I am trying to say my dear is that you…Miss Faith…are a witch"

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!"

**So…does it suck? You will let me know, won't you? Does begging in these after words actually inspire people to review? Ok…shutting up now**

**God I love caffeine**

**Dye **


	3. Back and Forth

**I have had a lot of people ask me to continue this…blame them….grin**

**That, and my obsession with dark characters trying for redemption…except Angel…he was too whiny for me…don't hit me!!**

**Joss is God, JK is Goddess…I am just hanging out in their garden picking flowers…**

"So how is Miss Faith settling in Minerva?" said Dumbledore, who was sitting in his favorite chair behind the desk in his office.

"She seems to be doing rather better than I expected" Professor McGonagall said as she settled her self down in the comfy chair across from Dumbledore. They had been having these private talks at the end of the day for years now…ever since she had been given the position of deputy headmistress over 25 years ago.

McGonagall smiled "Her progress at developing her magic has been nothing short of miraculous. She is already performing spells at a level of control that far exceeds someone with years of training, not someone who has just discovered their powers" McGonagall said with a certain sense of pride.

Dumbledore smiled at the look of affection he saw cross the usually stern look woman. "It is not that surprising. Because of her calling she has been forced to adapt to a variety of different situations quickly. Add to that her already conscious use of her Slayer power; it is only natural that she would be able to quickly assimilate her newest abilities."

McGonagall paused "I do have a concern however Albus" she said with a bit of hesitancy

Dumbledore folded his hands in front of him and gave her his full attention "What seems to be the problem?"

"I believe the young woman is getting restless hiding in the dungeons" Minerva said "Though she completely understands the necessity of remaining hidden till she is better able to understand and control her newly developing powers, she…she is a spirited girl and I believe the longer she feels trapped behind these walls, the larger the risk is that she may inadvertently act out against the restraints we have put on her"

Dumbledore smiled and the idea of Faith being described as 'a spirited girl'…the young woman was a force of nature in her own right…if what Severus has been reporting was to be taken seriously. He turned to Minerva and spoke "We must never forget that she is a Slayer. Her very nature is pushing her to use her strengths." He thought for a moment "Perhaps, once she has developed a bit more control with her magic, we can allow her to assist Hagrid in the Dark Forest…at night of course. That way she can remain hidden from society but still be able to do what she was born to do." He gave his old friend a mischievous grin "Severus is training with her this evening. I was going to head down to the dungeons to discuss the situation…and also to observe their progress"

Minerva raised an eyebrow "Their progress?" she said, the corner of her mouth twitching

Dumbledore continued to smirk "Yes…Faith, being who she is, initially was not pleased at the idea of being told what to do at all time…but it seems that they have reached an understanding. Severus trains her in the magical arts and she trains him in the physical arts."

Minerva choked on the last of her tea "What?!" she said sputtering and turning crimson

Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling "It seems that Severus was not completely object to learning some different forms of self defense and fighting techniques from an actual Slayer. It is a rare opportunity to work with one so skilled. So, after the days magic lessons, they do several hours of sparing techniques." Dumbledore gave her a blatantly false innocent expression "Why? What ever did you think I was referring to my dear?"

Minerva glared at him for a moment. Then, slowly, a grin developed "So you were going to head down to the dungeons to 'observe' their training after our meeting…would you care for some company?" she said, inwardly relishing the idea of watching the young woman toss the ever proud Severus Snape around and put him in his place.

"Of course you are welcome to join my dear" Dumbledore said with a knowing smirk "As my assistant, it would only be appropriate for you to see first hand their progress." Then his eyes started twinkling again "There is also the matter of some students returning for the Ministry's New Years ball tomorrow evening. We must make adjustments to Faiths living situation to keep her hidden a bit longer if necessary. Shall we go?" Dumbledore said as he rose from his seat and offered her his arm as they left the office.

Sfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfsfs

Snape pulled himself up of the floor wincing and glared at the young woman who was standing across the room and smirking at him "That was unnecessary" he said

Her trade mark smirk grew even wider "So was hitting me with that bondage bind spell thing earlier. You knew I would get you back for that sooner or later"

The corners of Snape's mouth twitched in what was almost a smile "Of course…and the spell is known as the body bind spell. Would you have preferred something more lethal?" he asked with an almost smirk

Faith just smirked back "Nah…that was a cool one to learn. Could come in handy sometime" she said with a suggestive smile, letting her eyes rake over the wizard, grinning as he sputtered slightly at her words.

Snape understood that it was impractical to practice physical defense in his usual wizard's robes, but he felt practically naked in the black shirt and pants she demanded he wore during these sessions. And it did not help that the skin tight pants and tank top she wore were positively indecent to his sensibilities. Add to that her complete inability to keep from throwing out sexual innuendos in every conversation…well, it made him uncomfortable. He was not blind to her charms, and she had strength in her that called him. He saw the obvious commonalities of their situations. Both had been servants to the dark and had been trying to find redemption in a light that would never completely forgive or accept them. Though they had never discussed their pasts in any detail, they had found a certain level of comfort in each others presence. Maybe a lesser fool would try to take advantage of her 'so called' offers…but Snape was no fool. He knew that her suggestive comments and actions were just a part of her nature and was her way of controlling a situation that she felt she had no control over. Contrary to popular belief, Snape was a compassionate man...to those he felt deserved it of course. And the fearful look he could occasionally catch in her eye when she was not looking…well, no legitimancy was needed…he knew that look all too well. He knew that she was not afraid of what might possibly happen to her, but of what she might possibly do to someone else if the circumstances presented themselves. Because of this, she was tireless in her pursuit to control the magic that was so new to her…and he respected that. He also knew what it was like to feel helpless to the fates. So in these sparring lessons, he let her lead and he could see it was good for her. The one thing he would not concede on was his clothing. He would wear, however grudgingly, the more practical attire for sparring, but he insisted on long sleeves. He knew that Dumbledore had briefed her on the current situation and knew that she was probably aware of his status as a double agent. But he would not openly display the mark that was the symbol of all of his failings.

Faith watched the face of the man who had become her closest companion, since Xan man had left, with fascination. This guy was no fool and had the attitude to back it up. A tough fighter, vicious sense of humor, and a shit ton of power to back it all up…she liked him. But more importantly, she respected him. For her, respect was not easily given. She had known too many assholes with delusions of greatness. Even the ones with the power to back it up most of the time were so fucking blind to both sides of the story that they usually ended up no different than the other side. But Snape man here…he knew the dance. Dumbledore had given her the basics of the sitch around here, so she knew a bit of the Prof's story. She didn't need the details though. She could see it in the man's face. The walls, the comments, the attitude…they were all just defenses to a world that had no clue what it was like to have felt that kind of darkness, that kind of power, and been able to walk away. It actually made her a bit uncomfortable that she and S-man were so similar. She wasn't used to having someone who knew exactly what she had been through around. Yeah, Angel had helped her, but he didn't have a soul when he went all evil and shit. She knew what she had been doing the entire time and had loved it. It was only when it had spiraled out of control that she had realized what she had become and she knew she would spend the rest of her life dealing with that fact. She had the feeling S-man was all too familiar with that road…and it freaked her out a bit that a man she had just gotten to know could know her that well…so she made up for it by pushing his buttons. She got a kick out of it…the reactions she got out of the normally stoic man. She could tell the guy had some fire in him…she grinned

"Should I be worried by that grin Miss Faith?" Snape said with a raised eyebrow

"It seems we have an audience for the next round" she said with a nod towards the door that Dumbledore and McGonagall had just come through. She gave him a challenging grin "You up for another dance old man?"

Snape glared at her, then, he formed his own slight smirk "I assure you I am up to the task" and launched himself at her.

Faith was startled by his abrupt move and Severus took full advantage of that fact, using the very techniques she had been demonstrating earlier. It wasn't long however before Faith's superior strength gave her the upper hand again and Snape found himself flat on his back…again.

Faith smiled as she gave him a hand up "Not to bad there S-man…Nice technique…I almost broke out into a sweat there for a bit" she said fanning her face and fluttering her eyelashes.

Snape refused her hand. He arched his back and flipped himself up into a standing position inches away from Faith. He gave her a slow smirk as he said in a low voice that only she would hear "It would be wise for you not to forget whom you are dealing with Faith…or the fact that I know a variety of techniques that would definitely have you…sweating." He gave a wicked smirk at her shocked expression and turned around to change back into his teaching robes. Inside his head, a voice was screaming 'why the hell did you say that? What were you thinking you old fool?' He told that voice to shut up and that he was just enjoying that fact that he got to beat her, for once, at her own game…inwardly knowing that he enjoyed her reaction to his comments far more than he rightfully should have.

Faith had composed her face quickly and was toweling off while Dumbledore and McGonagall were talking with S-man...but her brain was spinning. Damn! That man knew how to turn it on when he wanted to. Shit…that voice alone was enough to make her want to throw him against the wall and rip…wooooh girl! Down there babe…that man is the only friend you got right now that you can trust in this fucked up new world that you are stuck in…don't go fucking it up by getting all hormonal and shit. She subtly let her eyes rake over Snape, now that he was back in his teaching robes. Yum-Yum, but no-no…she saw him scowl at Double D and McG so she went over to see what was up…

**I am not sure where I want to go with this…except to mess with Snape and Faith(not in that way…get out of the gutter, though it might be fun…grin)…and I think a story should have a bit more plot than that…any ideas? I am game if you are…**

**Dye**


End file.
